Hi fridadc,
Just for clarity, they have a 15-year warranty on their products - the return/exchange period is 120 days.
I did a little digging last night with an assumption of your home area, and you may wish to go to the Original Mattress Factory web site and find the closest retailer to your home, They offer a torsion-modular working box spring.
I’ll await your results.
Phoenix
Thank you Phoenix.
I found the OMF online (thank you) and the closest to me is about 2-3 hours away. I spoke to a lady there this afternoon and she gave me an estimate about delivery time, etc. It would be about 4 weeks or more before they can deliver one to me. I don’t drive (medical condition) so I need to figure out how I can get there to check them out. She was very nice on the phone and I would be willing to take a chance on them, though they do not take returns.
I have to do some thinking. In the meantime, a friend suggested I keep the mattress on the floor for a few days and see how that feels for me when I sleep (I slept on my couch last night). It’s basically going to be the firmest surface to try. If that is an improvement over having the mattress on the slat foundation I had before, maybe I can consider going with a semi-flex grid option, I know it’s firm and not relaly flexible, but I am trying to keep my options open. I guess I won’t know until I try something.
I’ll keep you updated.
Thanks again, you have no idea how much I appreciate the information you provide.
Cheers,
FridaDC
Hi fridadc,
What’s your zip code?
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix
Sorry for the delay reply, I was trying to take a break from the mattress related stuff. I sent you a Direct Message last week not sure if you got it, with my zip code information. I’m located outside DC, Maryland side.
Thanks
FridaDC
Hi fridadc,
I just saw your note. Check PM.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix:
I got your PM. Thank you.
I wanted to take a little bit of time from thinking about mattresses and such. I wanted to focus on what/how I felt for a few days without reading too much in the forums and such. So here’s my update.
To recap (I figured it would be easy to summarize):
My new mattress: the Encased coil soft mattress from Room and Board, I had the very firm version which caused me a lot of pain in my lower and upper back as well as my ribs and thoracic area so I switched to the soft mattress (uses a total of 2.5" of 1.5lb polyfoam, https://www.roomandboard.com/catalog/bedroom/randb-mattresses/encased-coil-mattress-soft). The soft version is more of a medium-firm.
My old mattress, I did a little digging on my records and I had the Sealy Backsaver from 2003, it was purchased as a set with a ‘box spring’ from Sealy as well (I thought it was from 2005 but when I checked my records, my ex got that mattress in 2003).
I am very petite, 5’3" and BMI is about 17-18.
Side and back sleeper. I have lower back issues due to one leg slightly longer than the other so this creates alignment issues. I go to physical therapy on a regular basis to address this issue.
Mattress is currently on the floor due to changing the original Sealy 2003 ‘box spring’ to a 10" slat gap foundation which was very uncomfortable.
Additional information: I am currently using this mattress pad, I got it when the super firm mattress was giving me issues (400 Thread Count Premium Supima Cotton Mattress Pad | Lands' End)
My physical therapist told me to stay away from memory foam as it wouldn’t be good for my back issues. I also don’t like the smell of it.
So far:
I wished I had my super old mattress back.
I had noticed a few ‘pressure points’ mostly on the abdominal side (front) of the hip before changing the foundation to the slat one, but I thought it was due to my lower back/alignment issues. I also feel pain in my buttocks if I sleep on my back, which is something that I had been dealing with due to my back issues but it gets aggravated with this mattress. I tried to sleep with my legs up to relieve the pain but it doesn’t work. However, now that the mattress have been on the floor for a few days, I have come to realize that those ‘pressure points’ are still there, the new foundation wasn’t the problem, it might have aggravated things, but it wasn’t the cause. I use quotation marks because I am not sure if these are actually pressure points. The mattress is softer than the firm version, so I am not sure that a softer mattress would cause pressure points.
I looked around for a new foundation or box spring and due to my limited resources (I can’t drive due to a medical condition, so the OMF is about 2-3 hours driving, a little too far), I thought about getting the semi-flex box spring that Room and Board has. They are acutually supposed to deliver it tomorrow. I don’t want to deal with it at this point so I am going to postpone delivery until further notice, I can still cancel the order so I might do that, I just have been hesitant because I do need something. I did try to find a torsion modular system but no luck. I now think that the wooden slat foundation was the issue with the pain I experienced when I changed it. It might just be the mattress.
I am ready to throw in the towel and just start over. But I need a bed to sleep. I haven’t gotten a good night’s sleep since this mattress ordeal started. I am mostly sleeping on my couch at this point which is not good for my back. I need a solution ASAP and I am not sure what to do. This is my couch BTW, not sure if this would be useful information (https://www.westelm.com/products/jackson-loveseat-h618/?pkey=cloveseats). I don’t feel those pressure points I mentioned above as much when sleeping on the couch, I do sometimes, but nothing terrible. When I sleep on the mattress (on slat foundation, old box spring, or floor), the pain gets really bad within an hour and it doesn’t go away.
Thanks so much for all your help.
I am increadibly frustated and I don’t know what else to do.
FridaDC
Hi fridadc,
Thanks for your update. A few comments on the information you presented.
Your mattress did not use a box spring. It used a torsion modular system, which flexes but not as much as an actual coil box spring. The BackSaver line from Sealy during that time frame was a very basic, more introductory line of product, using Bonnell springs and generally not as much comfort material, and what was used was lower in density. They typically had a bit more “give” to them.
It could be that your new mattress is still offering a comfort that is firmer on the surface than what you desire. At least that seems to be what you are describing. It could be that you prefer something with a bit more plushness on top, but still enough deep support to keep your therapist happy. When you have pre-existing conditions, it makes choosing a mattress more difficult, as you can’t be sure what issues might be exacerbated from the mattress, and what issues are simply a result of your condition. But you seem to be describing the desire for a bit more surface comfort.
While having the torsion system that was 14 years old would have created a “slightly” softer comfort, I’d agree with you that your focus should be more on the mattress and less on the foundation.
Of course I can’t pick out a mattress for you via an online forum, but everything you seem to be describing points toward more surface conformation, but you don’t want to go to the point of losing your deep support within the mattress. Because you have specific pain and back issues, it could be that you are personally better served by something that is less supportive, like your old mattress, but again that’s something that I can’t predict. I’m not sure what options you still have with Room & Board, but you may wish to investigate something that is a bit softer on top and more basic in design – maybe their super soft model.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix:
Thanks for getting back to me.
I was a little upset last night because I had pain all over. My back got a little sore the other day after yoga so that sort of triggered a flare-up on my pain. So here’s the plan:
I agree with you. At this point I need to focus on the mattress. The foundation is secondary. I tested the slat foundation with the 10" slat gap and it didn’t work. But I do think I need something to test the mattress on and at least this new foundation won’t have the slats right underneath the mattress (I know it was slats at the bottom of the steel wide grid).
I haven’t been very consistent when it comes on sleeping on the bed. I got off and on depending on how I feel. I think I need to really stick it out for a few days and see how it works specially now that the foundation will be delivered.
If things don’t look like they’re improving next week, I will start over or maybe get a topper of some sort.
I am concerned that the ultra-soft option might be too much in terms of the comfort layers. When I tested it at the store, I felt like I was sinking in, big time, and I am not a really big person. The comfort layers on the ultra soft consist of a total of 5 inches of polyfoam at a density of 1.5 lb, my current one has 3.25 inches of the same polyfoam.
I think my body was so used to the old mattress which to be honest, was terrible, it was sinking in the middle and I could feel some of the coils through the comfort layers (or whatever it was left behind, it was a very old mattress). Obviously I still would want the old mattress back because it was semi-comfortable, but I also know that it is time to move on and find the best alternative.
In the back of my mind, I keep going back to this, should I have gone with a Bonnell springs mattress? Room and Board does carry them but they only had a firm version at the store, they didn’t have the soft version. I was hesitant to order without testing it first, so that’s why I went with the encased coil version. Here’s the soft version they offer: https://www.roomandboard.com/catalog/bedroom/randb-mattresses/innerspring-mattress-soft
This would be my first pocket coil mattress. I ended up at Room and Board because they offered the innerspring version. The mattress stores I went to before Room and Board had told me innerspring is not something that I would be able to find easily. Also, everything seemed to have memory foam in it, like they kept trying to sell me the hybrids they had. Unfortunately, Room and Board only had the firm version of the innerspring at the store to test.
I will stick to this plan. i have some time off next week so if things don’t look like they improving I am thinking about heading over to Urban Mattress in Vienna. I’ve heard good things about them so maybe they have other options.
Thanks so much for all your help. I truly appreciate it. I also figured out how to quote so yay!
FridaDC
Hi fridadc,
I think that’s a reasonable plan.
Ideally this would be best, as you need to lose some of your “learned alignment” and also allow the mattress to adjust a bit to you and “break-in” a bit, even at your lower BMI.
If you tested that and you thought it to be too plush, I understand your concern. I would trust your impressions from your own personal testing.
While all of the layers of a mattress work together to create your comfort, the innerspring is mostly responsible for deep support, alignment, and preventing you from “bottoming out”. The largest differences will be found, and perceived, with changes being made to the comfort layers placed above the innerspring unit. Room & Board has a model using a LFK spring unit (not Bonnell), which would generally be a bit firmer than the pocketed spring unit you are currently trying out. The “soft” LFK innerspring model is using the same polyfoam layers as the “ultra soft” model using the pocketed spring unit, but the “soft” mattress using the LFK innerspring unit is rated slightly less plush than the mattress using the pocketed springs.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix
I received the foundation from Room and Board.
[quote]
It could be that your new mattress is still offering a comfort that is firmer on the surface than what you desire. At least that seems to be what you are describing. It could be that you prefer something with a bit more plushness on top, but still enough deep support to keep your therapist happy. When you have pre-existing conditions, it makes choosing a mattress more difficult, as you can’t be sure what issues might be exacerbated from the mattress, and what issues are simply a result of your condition. But you seem to be describing the desire for a bit more surface comfort.
[/quote] .
I know you mentioned that perhaps I need a little bit more plushness based on the pain I was describing, so I was thinking about getting a 2 inch polyfoam topper. I saw one by Lucid on Amazon. It’s probably not the best quality but I was thinking about perhaps using it as a test to see if that helps with the comfort. If it does, perhaps I should consider exchanging the mattress for the super soft encased coil version which has 5 inches of polyfoam. Is this a crazy idea? I am just trying to figure out if 5 inches of polyfoam is something I would like before having Room and Board deliver a new mattress. It would be a temporary test. I have never had such a plush bed in my life so I would like to test the feel of it more than anything. Like I said, it would be temporary while I test the mattress I have now.
Thanks
FridaDC
Hi fridadc,
I don’t know if extra surface plushness is exactly what you need, but it seems to be what you are pointing toward with all of your comments. The concern would be, as you stated, having too much plush material on top as to have a negative impact upon your alignment, but again I can’t predict via a forum what works best for you with your specific needs. I apologize for the generalizations.
I don’t know how long you might have with R&B in order to allow a possible exchange, but using a polyfoam topper might be something that you could try, but realize that any polyfoam topper you choose will not result in exactly the same feel as if you change to a new softer mattress at R&B.
Additionally, as you mentioned in your last post, you haven’t tried the new mattress for a very long period of time, so this would be the first thing I would focus upon and see how your body adapts with some more time sleeping upon it, as long as you’re still within your exchange period.
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix:
Your last post really made me re-think my approach and I decided to take a few steps back.
Today, my friend and I studied your section on support and spine alignment and then went to work. We discovered that my alignment was off when I was sleeping on my side (which is the position I tend to prefer the most). Basically, it looked as if I had a too soft of a mattress. I have been using this mattress pad (400 Thread Count Premium Supima Cotton Mattress Pad | Lands' End) which adds about 1-1.5 inches of plushness. My friend suggested to remove the mattress pad and then look at my alignment again. After we did, it was so much better. Not perfect, but so much better. I wished we had done this from the beginning, but I can’t go back. I do think the firm version I had before was not a good one, it was way too hard. Uncomfortably hard. He did take some photos for me to keep as reference in case I need to start looking for a new mattress in the future.
I am going to try the new mattress without the mattress pad for a couple weeks in a consistent manner and see how that goes. I still have 105 days to return the mattress if I need to.
In the meantime, thank you so much for all your advice and patience.
FridaDC
Hi fridadc,
I’m very happy that you and your friend were able to come up with some options for you that seem to be pointing back in the right direction. I’m hoping that you’ll be able to put in some consistent time on the mattress, as you mentioned previously, and then see how you adjust to it.
I’ll look forward to your future updates - fingers crossed!
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix
I just wanted to send you a quick update. I am not having a lot of luck with the mattress I got. I have the encased coil soft version from Room and Board. Unfortunately, I am having a lot of hip pain to the point that I am going to physical therapy for it. I tried sleeping on my back (I am mostly a side sleeper) and it was not comfortable at all.
I decided against going with the ultra soft version of the encased coil mattress from Room and Board because I believed my alignment on that mattress will be way off, it’s too soft for me.
I started doing mattress shopping again. I went to Urban Mattress in Vienna which was highly recommended by a friend. I loved one of their mattresses (https://urbanmattress.com/product/highland-medium-firm-mattress/), my alignment was great and it was very comfortable. Then when I was on my way home, I realized that my hip was hurting, just like with the mattress I currently have. I think my issue is pressure points. I did a quick test one day I wasn’t feeling any pain, I slept on my couch for a few nights, and I just went into a local mattress store and tried some of the innerspring mattresses. Same issue. I did test a Sealy memory foam mattress (I know, not the best quality, but I was just doing an experiment), and it did not trigger any pain.
So I am super confused now. My doctor and PT recommended an innerspring mattress because of my back issues, but that doesn’t seem to be the answer. I also tried some latex mattresses and yep, that’s still a no go for me. Not comfortable at all.
I was thinking about getting a memory foam topper for my current mattress to see if that helps relief the pressure points, but I am not sure if investing on that is even worth it. I guess I need to an innerspring mattress that has more comfort layers, but I am afraid that I will be sinking in more and more and my alignment will be completely off.
Thanks for all your previous advice and recommendations.
FridaDC
Hi fridadc,
I’m sorry you’re still experiencing pressure point pains. 
As you mentioned, it may simply be the issue that you have some extreme sensitivities, as you even experienced these pains off of the mattress while in your car, and if that is the case it certainly could explain your varied responses on different mattress configurations.
Unfortunately, there is no one mattress guaranteed to alleviate such issues, and in the end it comes down to your own experimentation and attempts at finding materials that are “better than not” at assisting with your situation. It certainly could be that something using memory foam (either a topper or a traditional memory foam mattress) could do the trick for you, but without you testing it out, as you’re well aware, I unfortunately can’t provide much of a prediction. I wish I could!
I don’t know if you’ll find it helpful, but a forum search on fibromyalgia (you can just click the link) will bring up more comments and feedback from others that are in similar circumstances with pressure points that may be helpful (but it will also confirm that there isn’t a single “best” combination of materials that will work for everyone with fibromyalgia).
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix:
I tried a couple of memory foam toppers and they didn’t help. I have actually been sleeping on my mattress without any toppers and I started physical therapy which is helping with the pressure point pain. I am still not 100% comfortable with the Encased coil soft mattress from Room and Board. I have my friend take photos while I was laying on it and I think I’m sinking in too much which is causing my alignment to go off. So I’m started to look for a new mattress. I think I’m going with the Uptown from urban mattress (https://urbanmattress.com/product/uptown-soft-mattress/).
When I spoke to the guy at the store, I mentioned that I had a semi-flex steel grid foundation and he said that the mattress will feel softer. They have their mattresses in the showroom on some slat foundations. I was a little confused as I know that while the name of the foundation is semi-flex, it really doesn’t flex. Anyhow, I liked that mattress and my alignment was perfect. I am going back this Saturday and I want to make sure I get the right information. I remember the guy told me that the microcoils are on top of the encased coils followed by the poly foam then a layer of memory foam. The specs online look kind of weird. It looks as if the microcoils are in between the comfort layers? Are microcoils part of the comfort layers or the support layers?
Thank you in advance for your help.
FridaDC
Hi fridadc,
I wouldn’t be so concerned with the “labeling” of a layer as a “comfort” layer or “transition” layer, as those are merely descriptors. I also wouldn’t be too concerned about the ordering of the layers unless you had quite a bit of experience in mattress design, and I would instead focus upon the quality of the componentry and the comfort the product offers you. Microcoils are generally used in the upper layers of a mattress and are considered as a “comfort” layer, and in the mattress you’re describing they are contained between the quilt panel and memory foam layer.
Phoenix
HI Phoenix:
Thank you. I went today and I really liked The Uptown mattress. I spoke to the guy to get more clarification, the order of the components is as follows:
884-count 6″ pocketed coil
2.5″ layer of 1353 microcoil
2″ layer of 3 lb. memory foam
two 1.5″ layers of 2.1 lb. quilt foam
It was comfortable and my alignment was better than what I have seen in the current mattress I have. I took a friend with me to help out with that info. The sales guy wasn’t pushy either so I think this will be the one mattress I will get. I just need to talk logistics with Room and Board so I am not without a mattress from Urban Mattress needs to order the mattress for me, they don’t have full size in stock at the store.
Thanks again for all the information.
FridaDC
Hi fridadc,
Thanks for the clarification from Urban Mattress on those specs versus their web site - I appreciate it. While the 2" of 3 lb of memory foam is lower density than what I would normally advise, I hope that this is the one that provides the relief you’re seeking!
Phoenix
Hi Phoenix:
Happy New Year!
Unfortunately, I think I might not have resolved my issues finding a new mattress. While the mattress I got from Urban Mattress is much comfortable for my lower back and hips, I am experiencing other issues. I have been sleeping on the new mattress consistently for 2 weeks (long story short, I didn’t get the new mattress until much recently and with the holidays I didn’t get to sleep on it until I came back from vacation), and I have been experiencing shoulder, neck and arm pain on my right side (I am a side sleeper and I tend to sleep on that side). I am using the same pillow I had in the past, which caused me no pain at all. I am at a bit of a loss now because I am not sure what to do. Even when I sleep on my left side, the pain on the right is awful. I was barely able to sleep last night. I ended up taking my pillow and sleeping more comfortably in the couch.
Urban Mattress won’t exchange a mattress until you have been sleeping on it for 30 days. So I will continue to sleep on it until that time period is up to make sure this is not an adjustment to the mattress issue. But if I cannot get the pain to go away, I will likely exchange it, which will leave me looking for another mattress with them (they won’t issue refunds, just exchanges).
I have one the Uptown mattress from them and it’s probably the softest they have. I don’t like the feel of latex and I am quite sensitive to the fumes of the memory foam (the Uptown has a layer of memory foam but it’s located at the bottom between the coils and the polyfoam layers so it doesn’t bother me). I tried one of their memory foam mattresses while I was there (https://urbanmattress.com/product/taos-plush-memory-foam-mattress/) and my alignment was off.
My alignment with the new mattress is great so I am not sure what else I would need in order for me to get rid of this awful pain on my right shoulder and arm. Any suggestions?
Thank you in advance for your help.
FridaDC